Mount Mansfield
Mountain Road
Stowe, VT
A long summit ridge whose knobs are named for a human face, the Nose, the Chin, the Forehead, carrying Vermont's highest ground and a fragile scrap of arctic tundra.
Mount Mansfield is the highest mountain in Vermont, a long summit ridge in the northern Green Mountains whose profile, seen from the east, is often read as a giant upturned human face. Its high points carry the names of features on that face, the Forehead, the Nose, and, at the true summit, the Chin.
The mountain is remarkable not only for its height but for what grows on top: a fragile band of alpine tundra, a scrap of arctic-like environment that survives in only a handful of spots in Vermont. Reached by hiking trails, a toll auto road, or a gondola, Mansfield rewards visitors with enormous views and a rare, delicate summit world that asks to be treated with care.
What Guests Love
- Standing on the highest point in Vermont with views across several states
- The strange, memorable ridgeline named like a reclining face
- Rare alpine tundra found in only a few places in the state
- Multiple ways up: hike, the toll road, or the gondola
Worth Knowing
- The summit alpine zone is extremely fragile; stay on marked rock and never step on the plants
- Weather up high changes fast and turns cold and windy even in summer, so pack layers
- The toll road and gondola are seasonal; hiking routes are steep and rocky
- Give yourself time and turn back in bad weather; this is real mountain terrain
Details
Stowe, VT
Learn about Mount Mansfield
The face on the ridge
From the Stowe side, the summit ridge of Mansfield resembles the profile of a face lying on its back, and early observers named its features accordingly. The Chin is the true high point of the mountain and of the entire state; the Nose, a bit lower along the ridge, is a distinct knob now topped with communication towers.
Walking the ridge between these points is one of the classic experiences on the mountain, a route with open views on both sides high above the surrounding country.
The mountain's shape and prominence have made it a landmark for centuries, visible across much of northern Vermont.
A scrap of the arctic
The summit of Mansfield holds one of Vermont's few patches of alpine tundra, a community of low, hardy, arctic and subarctic plants that survive on the wind-blasted, thin-soiled high ground. These plants are relics of a colder age and grow nowhere else in the state except a couple of other high peaks.
This tundra is extraordinarily fragile. The plants grow slowly and can be killed by a single careless footstep, so visitors are asked to walk only on bare rock and stay off the vegetation entirely. Volunteer summit stewards are often present to help hikers protect it.
Preserving this tiny alpine zone is one of the main conservation concerns on the mountain, which is why the rules about where to step are taken so seriously.
Ways up and the Long Trail
Vermont's Long Trail, the country's oldest long-distance hiking trail, runs right over the summit ridge, and several steep trails climb the mountain from different sides for those who want to earn the top on foot.
For those who prefer, a toll auto road climbs toward the Nose, and a gondola on the Stowe side lifts visitors high on the mountain, both seasonal. These make the high country accessible to people who cannot make the demanding hike.
However you arrive, the summit gives sweeping views that on clear days reach across Vermont to New York's Adirondacks, New Hampshire's White Mountains, and toward Canada.
Season by season
Summer is the main season for hiking, the toll road, and the gondola, but even then the summit is cold and windy, so warm layers are essential.
Fall lays brilliant foliage across the lower slopes and offers crisp, clear air for the long summit views, a spectacular time on the mountain.
Winter turns the eastern flank into the Stowe ski area, while the exposed summit becomes a harsh, ice-bound alpine environment; winter travel up high is for the well-prepared only.
Closest Boutels
The closest Boutel™ stays, so you can turn this stop into an overnight. Each is an independently owned, editorially selected place to stay.
Things to Do Near Stowe
Stowe village
About 8 miles, a 20 minute drive
A classic resort village of shops, dining, and the landmark Stowe Community Church below the mountain.
Smugglers Notch
About 10 miles, a 25 minute drive
A narrow, boulder-choked mountain pass just north of Mansfield, dramatic and seasonally closed in winter.
Moss Glen Falls
About 8 miles, a 20 minute drive
One of Vermont's tallest waterfalls, reached by a short trail in the hills near Stowe.